The Pressure for Perfectionism

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I haven't struggled with body image because that would be a complete lie and I think it is safe to say that EVERY girl has struggled with her body image at one point or another. For years, I wished I was smaller or skinnier. I was a cheerleader for the majority of my adolescent life and I didn't understand why I wasn't the same size as the flyers. I always wanted to find a way to make myself skinnier or more toned or really anything because I thought it would make me feel prettier or better about the body I did have.

Fast forward to now and all my days aren't full of loving my body and I know I will have to put in the work to feel completely comfortable with the skin I am in, but I appreciate my body so much more. I recognize that this is the body God provided me and it has carried me through so many important events in my life and allowed me to do so many things. Sometimes I still have this mindset of needing to be thinner or I stress out because I am 24 years old and my face STILL breaks out, but I am quickly reminded how unique and beautiful we all are. Thanks to an amazing community in Wilmington I am able to enjoy exercising with a group of girls (shameless plug to Sole Fitness) and not think twice about whether I will eat ice cream more than once this week (because I most likely will).

BUT...

For some reason, the idea of being a bride and trying on a wedding dress brought this sense of fear over me. When you think of a bride, a perfect picture is printed in your head. Intricately styled hair, stunning makeup, flawless skin, gorgeous dress, white teeth, the list could go on and on. I was worried and stressed out that I would not fit the mold. I wouldn't have the whitest and straightest teeth or the perfect skin and I most definitely wouldn't have the perfect body.

I was so excited to go wedding dress shopping, but also nervous. I didn't want to eat a big lunch before and I only wanted to try on certain types of dresses that were "better for my body." At the end of the day, I realized that these fears were not necessary because every bride is the most beautiful bride on her wedding day. I cannot wait for you all to see my dream dress in ONE week.

DISCLAIMER: This is not my wedding dress!!

This is just a dress I tried on and loved also. :)

To make my current brides or future brides more comfortable I have written some tips to help you with wedding dress shopping if your body image worries you too.

Tips for Enjoying Wedding Dress Shopping

1. Do your research. Talk to your friends or someone you know and learn about their experiences with local bridal boutiques and dress shops near you. I went to Coastal Knot in Wilmington and I would HIGHLY recommend it because the staff was so courteous and went above and beyond to make sure I had the perfect dress for me.

2. Look at styles ahead of time and find what you like, BUT be open to other options. Follow designers and other accounts on Instagram to get ideas of different trends, but don't be constricted to only trying on certain types of dresses because you might be surprised by what you end up with!

3. Bring your best people or person with you. The people you bring to your appointment should have your best interest in mind and want you to ultimately look and feel your best. Some bridal shops do limit the number of people you can bring with you normally, but they especially are during COVID. My mom made a special request that we go shopping together so she could be the first one to see me in a wedding dress and of course I was happy to do that! The next weekend, I was planning to go with some of my bridesmaids and the moms, but we ended up finding the perfect dress the first time so it was not necessary to have any other appointments.

4. Don't buy a dress that is too big or too small with the mindset that you will make yourself fit into it. It is so easy to fall into this idea of losing or gaining weight to look a certain way and meet certain beauty standards, but most of these standards are NOT realistic! A lot of us have these impossible standards drilled into our minds and the fact is your body is perfect just the way it is and you should buy the size dress that you feel most comfortable in.

January 2020 --> June 2020

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Meghan